Coin controlled vending machine



AM 7 ma, A 2 mm COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE Filed April 8, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l la a F mm INVENTOR J1 r I I ATTORNEY WITNESS W. J. CHRISTMAS mm m COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE Filed April 8, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I WITN'ESS a ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 7, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE William Jeremiah Christmas, Logan, Ala.

Application April 8, 1935, Serial No. 15,305

4 Claims.

The invention relates to a coin controlled vending machine and more especially to a merchandise dispenser of the coin operated type.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a machine of this character, wherein packaged merchandise can be stacked therein and is visible for observation as well as susceptible of single delivery from the machine, the deliven'ng of the single merchandise being effected by the deposit of a determined coin within the machine.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a machine of this character, wherein the coin deposited will be received in a well or depository from whence the same can be collected, the machine being incapable of operation on the reception of a spurious token therein and when a legitimate coin has been admitted to the machine a single package or article of merchandise can be dispensed therefrom, the control mechanism of the machine being of novel construction and possessed of few parts.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a machine of this character, which is simple in construction, susceptible of mounting upon a showcase or other support, thoroughly reliable and efficient in its operation, convenient for legitimate operation, strong, durable, and inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose the preferred embodiment of the invention and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a machine constructed in accordance with the invention and the parts in normal position.

Figure 2 is a front elevation.

Figure 3 is a top plan view partly in section.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken above the coin controlled mechanism and the parts in normal position.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing an article of merchandise dispensed from the machine.

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure '7 is a perspective view of the coin slide.

Figure 8 is a perspective View of the ejector slide.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the machine constituting the present invention comprises a casing A having a horizontal base portion Ii] and a vertical column II, respectively, the column being located at the rear end of the base portion and rises perpendicularly therefrom while the base portion at its bottom carries feet l2, these being of a kind to avoid marring of a 10 support, showcase or the like on which the machine is placed.

The front of the column II is provided with a way M in which are arranged a stack of superimposed articles of merchandise [5 to be singly dispensed from the machine in a manner presently described.

Movably fitted in the base to travel crosswise of the way l4 at its lower end is an ejector slide I6 which when moved rearwardly conveys the lowermost merchandise l5 singly into a delivery chute ll provided in the base ill and this chute opens laterally at an inclination by a doorway l8 for the dispensing of the merchandise through one side of the base. The communica- 5 tion 19 between the way [4 and the chute I1 is shielded by a flexible guard 20 adapted to flex on the passing of merchandise from the way [4 into the chute I! under the influence of the ejector slide I6.

Fitted in a suitable guideway 2| as provided in the base H] is a coin slide 22 so that the latter will be maintained in alignment and in the same plane with the ejector slide l6 and this slide 22 at its outer end has a finger piece 23 for the manual manipulation of the slide. The slide is longitudinally bifurcated at 24 to provide at the inner end opposed latching jaws 25, these serving to slidably couple the ejector slide and the coin slide with each other, this being had through an elongated stem 26 formed with the ejector slide l6 and a stop head 21 provided on said stem with which the jaws abut. The coin slide 22 has intersecting the bifurcation 24 a coin space 28, this being removed from the jaws 25 and is of a size to accommodate a determined coin which when within the space 28 holds the ejector slide relatively fixed with the coin slide 22 so that when the coin slide is pushed inwardly or in a rearward direction the ejector slide l6 moves therewith and in this movement a single article of merchandise is ejected from the way l4 into the chute I! and thence dispensed from the machine.

0n the inward movement of the coin slide 22 55 when bearing a coin in the space 28 the said coin is brought into register with a coin well or depository 29 whence it will be dropped thereinto and such coins as deposited within this well can be collected in any desirable manner or removed from the machine by the proper authority.

Provided in the top of the base I6 is a coin receiving mouth 39 it being of proper size to receive the determined legitimate coin for deposit within the machine and this mouth directs the legitimate coin into the space 28 in the coin slide 22 when the latter is pulled outwardly and in normal position.

When the coin slide 22 is devoid of a coin in the space 23 therein the said slide has loose coupling with the ejector slide 16 and by pushing such coin slide 22 inwardly it is inactive upon the ejector slide so that an article of merchandise can not be delivered from the machine. When a coin is in the space 28 and is of a legitimate kind this coin will contact with the head 21 on the stem 26 of the ejector slide l6 and in this way the slides l6 and 22 are fixed relatively to each other so that they will move together when pushing inwardly upon the coin slide 22 for the successful ejecting or dispensing singly of merchandise from the machine.

Interseating the depression or counterseat 31 is a vertical passage 32 which opens through the bottom of the base and is accessible at this point so that the illegitimate coins, tokens or the like as within the depression or seat can be extracted from the machine. Screwed in the top of the base 10, to the opposite sides of the passage 32 there are headed elements in the nature of small screws and 35 respectively. The screws extend into the slot or bifurcation 24 in the coin slide 22 but are disposed below the plane of the upper or outer face of the said slide. The screw 34, located nearest the front of the base ID, has its head disposed a slight, but suitable distance below the head of the inner screw 35 and the said screw 34 is designed to contact with the end wall provided by the bifurcation 2 and thereby limit the inward movement of the coin slide. The screws 34 and 35 are positioned beneath the coin receiving mouth 30, adjacent to the open and closed ends thereof, and provide a support for a coin when the slide is moved outwardly to the position disclosed by Figure 4 of the drawings, to receive the coin in the coin space 28. The coin will rest on the screws at a slight angle and if the said coin is of the legitimate size and thickness, the same will be moved longitudinally by contact with the outer wall afforded by the coin space 28, so that the said coin will ride over the screws and contact with the head ill on the stem 26 of the ejector IE to operate the ejector, in the manner previously described, when the slide 22 is moved inwardly or toward the machine. A small coin, washer or slug, inserted through the mouth 30 Will drop between the screws 36 and 35 into the passage 32 or will rest between the screws and will not cause the device to operate. Larger thicker coins, slugs or washers cannot pass through the space that affords the coin passage between the removable plate 36 (that carries the mouth 30) and the slide 22, while slugs or washers having openings therethrough will be caught by the screw 35 even when said washers are of the same size and thickness as that of the legitimate coin employed. Thus, it will be seen that the machine cannot be fraudulently operated. The plate 36 is temporarily removed from the base It] to permit the removal of spurious coins or other obstructions. The outward movement of the slide ejector is limited by the contact of the head 2'! with the inner screw or coin rest 35.

Slidable through the top of the column I l and extending within the way I4 to rest upon the uppermost merchandise stacked therein is a follower 33 which through its weight assures the lowering of the merchandise within the way l4 congruous with the single ejection of such merchandise at the lower end of the stack.

From the foregoing it is thought that without a detailed description of the operation of the machine the working of the same will be clearly understood and from the several views it should be apparent that merchandise will be singly delivered or dispensed from the machine for each single coin of legitimate value introduced thereinto.

What is claimed is:

1. Article ejecting means for a coin controlled vending machine comprising, in combination, a fiat member having a longitudinal guideway, a removable plate covering the guideway and having a coin receiving mouth, a handle operated bifurcated coin slide movable in the guideway, said slide having a coin space and having latching jaws, an ejector plate having a stem which is received for slidable movement in the bifurcation at the jaw end of the slide, a head on the stem to be engaged by the jaws to cause the ejector plate to be moved with the slide when the said slide is moved longitudinally in one direction, and said head being disposed for contact with a coin when brought thereagainst, and a pair of spaced headed coin rests on the member received in the bifurcation, but disposed below the face of the coin slide and located opposite the open and closed ends of the coin receiving mouth, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. Article ejecting means for a coin controlled vending machine comprising, in combination, a flat member having a longitudinal guideway, a removable plate covering the guideway and having an outwardly bulged portion at one of its ends to provide a coin receiving mouth, a handle operated bifurcated coin slide movable in the guideway, said slide having a coin space and having latching jaws, an ejector plate having a stem which is freely received in the bifurcation at the jaw end of the slide, a head on said stem in the path of contact with the jaws to permit the ejector plate being moved with the slide when the said slide is moved in one direction and to position the head adjacent to the closed end of bulged coin receiving mouth, and an inner and an outer coin rest on the member arranged in a line with the bifurcated portion of the coin slide normally disposed in the coin space of said slide and directly below the ends of the coin mouth of the removable plate, and the inner of said rests being elevated slightly above the outer rest whereby to support a coin at an angle on such rests, to permit of one edge of the coin being contacted by one end wall provided by the coin space when the coin slide is moved to article ejecting position, to cause the coin to be guided at an upward or outward angle between the closed end of the coin receiving mouth and to be directed therefrom against the head of the ejector stem to cause the latter to be moved longitudinally with the coin slide.

3. Article ejecting means for a coin controlled vending machine comprising, in combination, a fiat member having a longitudinal guideway, a removable plate covering the guideway and having an outwardly bulged portion providing a coin receiving mouth, a handle operated bifurcated coin slide movable in the guideway, said slide having a coin space and having latching jaws, an ejector plate having a headed stem which is received in the bifurcation of the slide and whose head is engageable by the jaws and the head of said stem being normally disposed approximately in a line with the closed end wall of the coin receiving mouth and slightly away from the coin space in the coin slide, and a pair of spaced headed coin rests on the member received in the bifurcation and in the space provided by the coin space of the slide, one of said rests being normally elevated above the other and both of said rests being adjustable toward or away from the coin receiving mouth of the 5 removable plate, all as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The article ejecting means as claimed in claim 3, and the arrangement of the coin rests whereby said rests serve as contact elements to contact with the head of the ejector plate and the end wall afiorded by the bifurcation in the slide to limit the longitudinal movement of the ejector plate and slide in two directions.

WILLIAM J EREMIAH CHRISTMAS. 

